US Virgin Islands played their first (and currently only) test in 2013 against the British Virgin Islands (according to Scrum). The Privateers play what looks like an annual game against BVI, but some may not be classified as test matches.

I know Myanmar does now have a rugby club (who hosted a club from Vietnam) in Yangon. Pretty sure its just an expat thing at this point. But I guess that counts for blue.

My info is a few years out but Vietnam certainly has rugby clubs but they are very expat heavy. A few years back there was an effort (with some funding via AUSAID plus an Australian and a French guy) to get more rugby into schools and develop some actual Vietnamese teams along with getting associated with World Rugby. They were following the model of Laos and Cambodia where they had been pretty successful in getting some grassroots rugby going.

My memory was that it didnt stick with the schools / local teams and the relevant Vietnamese Ministry was not supportive of whatever necessary to join World Rugby, so it didnt happen. Things may have progressed since then, but I havent ever heard anything.

There is rugby in bolivia!! I play rugby here in santa cruz are 6 clubs (2 with fem div) we are the capital of rugby in bolivia other cities are la paz 1 club (fem div. ) cochabamba 2 clubs (1 fem div) tarija 3 clubs oruro 1 club this is the state of rugby in my country

Yes, I put Cuba and Bolivia in blue. And I am now changing Myanmar's colour.

About US Virgin Islands,are they still active?

There is rugby in bolivia!! I play rugby here in santa cruz are 6 clubs (2 with fem div) we are the capital of rugby in bolivia other cities are la paz 1 club (fem div. ) cochabamba 2 clubs (1 fem div) tarija 3 clubs oruro 1 club this is the state of rugby in my country

Great to meet a Bolivian rugby fellow! Do you know what's the situation of Bolivia's work to become Sudamérica Rugby's member?

Last edited by victorsra on Thu, 05 May 2016, 04:47, edited 1 time in total.

Yes, I talked via mail with this young man trying to grow up rugby in Addis Abeba. There was already some rugby played in the capitol city but mostly by the expats, this boy has instead created a group of locals. They have a "Rugby Day" next month, whatever it will be https://www.facebook.com/richrugby.addis

About the other countries, it has to be said that "Get Into Rugby", a project by World Rugby, is bringing a drop of rugby in almost all the nations mentioned by Victorsra, except some like Iraq and North Korea. They seem very active mostly in Africa and in the Caribbean Sea (the GIR manager for this last area is a former T&Tobago female player). If we don't consider Get Into Rugby, reserved to boys and kids and blooming just for one day, the list of Victor seems to me correct.I'm not sure about the status of Greece. Are they still suspended? Maybe not, but their activity seems frozen; maybe due to the economic crisis. In Armenia there's a self-proclamated national team, but they seem a group of friends not too much in shape and in a number barely adequate to make a squad https://www.facebook.com/rugbyarmenia/In Africa, Gambia has a team ("the Rhinos", I think expats trying to involve some locals) and there's surely some activity in Sierra Leone, even if they must be few dozens of players https://www.facebook.com/sierraleonerugby.org/

What was the reason for Armenia's suspension ? I find it strange that Armenian Rugby is not more prominent.. For decades Rugby in India survived solely because of Armenian expats.. During the 90's when India restarted playing in the Asian circuit Armenian expats dominated it's national teams

Also Vietnam is a strange case, Being former French colony and with so much influence, Hard to believe the game never caught on atleast in the capital

gibbs wrote:What was the reason for Armenia's suspension ? I find it strange that Armenian Rugby is not more prominent.. For decades Rugby in India survived solely because of Armenian expats.. During the 90's when India restarted playing in the Asian circuit Armenian expats dominated it's national teams

Also Vietnam is a strange case, Being former French colony and with so much influence, Hard to believe the game never caught on atleast in the capital

Vietnam stopped being a french colony is the 40's. Was France already a major player in rugby? From my understanding, French colonialism was a different beast than the British. And its not too surprising that the sport wasnt passed along to the locals. More importantly the multiple wars, communist rule, and range of other things would have killed off any historical connection long ago.

The only Vietnamese I've ever met that play are those that grew up or studied abroad.

Suiram wrote:Vietnam stopped being a french colony is the 40's. Was France already a major player in rugby? From my understanding, French colonialism was a different beast than the British. And its not too surprising that the sport wasnt passed along to the locals. More importantly the multiple wars, communist rule, and range of other things would have killed off any historical connection long ago.

The only Vietnamese I've ever met that play are those that grew up or studied abroad.

Hansgrohe wrote:It seems Senegal, Morocco, and Tunisia were given rugby via the French. I have no understanding of these countries so much, maybe the connection between them was different.

I find it odd that despite Algeria being bordered by two of Africa's notable rugby nations and having strong contact with France (very recent, not like Vietnam), rugby is just starting there.

Maybe you guys are right, French cultural assimilation must be bit different to those former Brit colonies, I guess as Hangrohe mentioned Algeria is another example also French Polynesia and West Africa apart from Senegal and Côte d’Ivoire, Have little or no Rugby culture

Another reason may be Rugby was till decades back was considered a elitist sport.. Exclusive to White expats and higher classes.. Except in the South pacific and NZ.. Where the general populace were involved

Pity about Armenia though, They have the ability to be another Georgia in Rugby, Very similar physical attributes as well

victorsra wrote:Yes, I put Cuba and Bolivia in blue. And I am now changing Myanmar's colour.

About US Virgin Islands,are they still active?

There is rugby in bolivia!! I play rugby here in santa cruz are 6 clubs (2 with fem div) we are the capital of rugby in bolivia other cities are la paz 1 club (fem div. ) cochabamba 2 clubs (1 fem div) tarija 3 clubs oruro 1 club this is the state of rugby in my country

Great to meet a Bolivian rugby fellow! Do you know what's the situation of Bolivia's work to become Sudamérica Rugby's member?

There is a lot of progress in that thanks by the gestion of the new president of FBR (federacion boliviana de rugby) hope in this year we will be member .... ah other info bolivian clubs generally tours every year to argentina, chile and recently brazil (we travel to corumba twice last year)

Antigua and Grenada.. Two British commonwealth nations, Must have been some form of the game played

The national sports of these countries is Cricket... For Antigua most famous sons: Sir Viv Richards and Brian Lara, I know they play Rugby but more like invitational teams coming during their off-season not familiar with any club in current existence just the local gathering of expats and locals who like the odd game.

Grenada : also major sport is cricket, international player is Devon Smith also Kirani James winning the 400 Metre at the last Olympics have boosted track and field in the country

Antigua and Grenada.. Two British commonwealth nations, Must have been some form of the game played

The national sports of these countries is Cricket... For Antigua most famous sons: Sir Viv Richards and Brian Lara, I know they play Rugby but more like invitational teams coming during their off-season not familiar with any club in current existence just the local gathering of expats and locals who like the odd game.

Grenada : also major sport is cricket, international player is Devon Smith also Kirani James winning the 400 Metre at the last Olympics have boosted track and field in the country

Yep.. Thats what i thought.. It's impossible not have played some structure of Rugby if you're part of the British commonwealth

I'd reckon it's true for Maldives as well.. Since most Maldivians have lived or lives in Sri Lanka they would have partaken in the game in some measure